Carbon residents lose thousands to phone scam

The Price City Police Department is warning members of the community that they should never send or wire money to individuals who solicit funds over the telephone or through the Internet.

During the last few weeks, an old scam has resurfaced and several community members have become victims. Â In the scam, the victim receives a telephone call from a man claiming to be either a grandson of the victim or the grandson's lawyer.Â The caller tells the victim that the grandson was at fault in an automobile accident in Canada and needs money for damage repair, bail or medical expenses. Â The victim is asked to wire the money to someone in another country, (the Dominican Republic in the recent cases).

In some cases the man calls multiple times requesting more money, further defrauding the victim.

Victims eventually come to realize that their grandson was never in an accident and that they are the victims of a scam. Â Some Price City residents have lost thousands of dollars, according to Capt. Kevin Drolc.

Once money is wired to a location outside the United States it is lost forever and law enforcement has little chance of identifying and prosecuting the perpetrator, Drolc said.

Community members are advised to thoroughly research any telephone call or email that solicits money. Â In the case of the recent scam, a telephone call to a previously known number of the grandson or other family members would quickly expose the request as a scam.

Here is some other helpful information concerning scams. Most of it comes from http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.
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What to look for:

*Being asked for personal financial Information such as bank account information or credit card numbers via the telephone or by email.

*Using high-pressure sales tactics so as not to give you time to think about the information you are providing.

*Being told you have won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes.

*Being asked to help transfer funds out of a foreign country for a share of the money.

*Being offered help in repairing credit scores for an advanced fee.

*Receiving a counterfeit casher's check or money order for more than the cost of the item you are selling.

*Poor grammar in written or verbal communications.

Remain Vigilant:

*Take time to research any offers you receive over the Internet or telephone.

*Do not deposit any checks that are supposed winnings from a lottery or sweepstakes, especially if you didn't enter one.

*Do not provide your sensitive, personal, or financial information unless you know who you are dealing with.

*Consult friends and family or a trusted advisor before making any major financial decisions.